Log date Monday 26 March 2007
Position Lat 27 30N Long 63 30W
Miles To Norfolk, USA 876 nm
Distance In 24 Hours 251 nm
Average Speed In 24 Hours 10.46 knots

More squalls all yesterday, morning the general wind stayed fresh from the east-north-east until last night when it backed northerly, so we were able to press on for half a day.

Sadly, for our future progress, the US people are predicting a high-pressure system coming from inland between us and Norfolk in two day’s time, which will cut our speed right away. I am now watching to see where it will go after that but it is too big to try and avoid. So it is not yet possible to give a worthwhile ETA and won’t be until the movement and intensity of this high becomes apparent.

An incredible red sky last night after sunset, the deepest red I have seen for a long time. Hopefully a good omen. Still passing through sargasso weed, slightly larger patches of it now, up to a couple of square metres.

The alarms showed the danger of over sensitivity again last night. With squalls about the wind change alarm kept going off and eventually I fell asleep despite it. I was awoken by shifting off the bench seat at the nav table because the wind had risen considerably but it is the same alarm. Worse it had drowned out the radar alarm and I found a cruise liner two miles away which I knew nothing about. This is thoroughly dangerous. Cruise liners tend to be well manned, but a bulk carrier might have been a different matter.

Received some news too which I don’t normally bother to get as it takes a long time to download. I gather tax on drinks will go up in the next budget with the exception of whisky, so that’s all right. I have not yet drawn my pension and wondered what Mr Brown would do with all that surplus money he has as a result. Nice to see a reduction in income tax coming as a result!

Made real lemonade for the last time as I have finished the Margaret River lemons Pippa gave me. Still have a few Australian oranges left which have lasted remarkably well. The apples are now all soft and not so attractive.

RKJ